“I really don’t know how my life would have turned out if I didn’t come here. I am so grateful to God that I got this opportunity.” These were the words of Suleiman Babangida, a 21-year-old from Kano, at the first valedictory thanksgiving of New Life Comprehensive College in Ibadan. He is one of eight graduating SS3 students from Northern Nigeria placed on scholarship throughout their secondary school education, courtesy of New Life for All Nations Ministries, New Felele, Ibadan, which established the college.
Pastor Bamidele Lasisi, the Project Coordinator and Executive Director Missions/Outreaches, explains the motivation for sponsoring these eight students out of the graduating class of 11 students.
“The story of New Life Comprehensive College started with evangelism and missionary outreaches in the North-West cities of Nigeria, that is Kano, Zaria, Malumfashi and so on. Brethren in these locations decided to offer educational opportunities to the less privileged children and youths of the Hausa/Fulani converts,”Lasisi said.
This led, he said, to the establishment of a primary school in Malumfashi, Katsina State.
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He added that the need to offer secondary school education to the 2012 products of this primary school in Katsina led to the establishment of a secondary school within the premises of New Life Campground, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The lucky first set were eight in number, comprising three boys and five girls. They arrived January 7, 2013,” he said.
From 2013 when the school began till date, the ministry has been responsible for their feeding, clothing, education, upkeep and wellbeing expenses.
“This is a great thing God has done for us. It is to the glory of God that we have been able to do this,” said Pastor Ade Adeoye, the Proprietor of the school/General Overseer of New Life for All Nations Ministries.
“The children we have trained are from less privileged homes in the North. Some of their parents are not our church members. The domestic expenses, school fees and every other thing they needed were provided free. The school was founded by our late general overseer, Pastor Lawrence Oladeji, and when he died, we took up the mantle.”
He said through divine help, and that of groups within and outside the ministry, the school has continued to grow.
“We believe tomorrow will be better than today. We have had children from the missionary field, but we have asked everyone to bring their children also,” the proprietor said.
On why the children had to be brought from their faraway homes to school in Ibadan, Pastor Olumide Orekoya, the Chairman, Education Board/General Secretary and Executive of Administration of the ministry, said, “Then, we did not think that it will be so costly. We were only thinking about quality education. Our thinking was that if they are brought here, the education they will get will be better than what obtains over there. As time went on, we discovered it was expensive. Nevertheless, we continued. And today, what we started six years ago has given us better results. In their WAEC results that came out recently, all of them made their papers with distinctions and credits.”
The valedictory service was an occasion for the ministry to thank those within and outside the ministry who supported the students. According to Pastor Lasisi, these include the leadership of the ministry, the entire New Life Women Ministry, the Missionary Support Programme of the Glory Tabernacle Ministries, Ibadan; Rev Andy/Soteria Trust (UK and Nigeria); among other groups/individuals.
The SS3 graduates include Suleiman Babangida (Kano), BalaAlheri (Katsina), FalodunIyanuoluwa (Ondo), Yahuza Jemima (Katsina), Balare-Luka Naomi (Kano), Maikuda Jonathan (Katsina), Shittu Ayuba (Kano), Isah Habiba (Katsina), Oladele Winner (Ogun), Rabiu Alisa (Katsina), and Olatunji Praise (Ekiti).
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